Twelve prisoners released for Easter

A unique program of Florida based ministry Food for the Poor gains the release of prisoners in Jamaica by paying fines they cannot afford to pay:

Inside the prison chapel, 12 men - some young, some old - sit on two wooden benches waiting for the final confirmation of their release. Their expressions are hard to read. Indifference? Shock? Perhaps they do not believe that they will be able to spend Easter with their families this year? But they will, and perhaps quite appropriately they are getting this chance at Easter - a time for rebirth and new beginnings.

This is a part of Food for the Poor's prison ministry in Jamaica, led by Sandra Ramsey and financed by a generous anonymous donor. The men are in prison for minor offenses, but cannot pay their fines. This program sends them home with enough money for transportation and other needs:

While the number of prisoners released varies, the aim is to release as many as possible, and if needs be, Food for The Poor will fund the difference. This Easter, an additional J$50,000 was donated by a female ophthalmologist, who had read about the prison release programme and wanted to help. Her money went to free a female prisoner at Fort Augusta, who was incarcerated for unlawful wounding, and could not pay her fine.

. . . The chapel has a simple painted concrete floor, and simple wooden benches. Cut-outs high above the altar in the wall stand for a cross with the words, "This Is The Word of The Lord," written simply underneath. Donated by Food For The Poor 10 years ago, the chapel also houses numerous workshops including furniture-making, grillwork, and tailoring. It is also fully equipped with an electric keyboard, drum set, guitar, speakers, and even a bushwacker to cut the grass. Speaking on behalf of the prison, Superintendent Sylvester Lindor addressed the men.

"This is a special gift to you," he said. "This is a gift for you to cherish. It is not my desire to see you again, we want you to go back to your societies, live good and get a job."

Similarly, it is for this reason that Ramsey believes so strongly in the programme. "We all make mistakes, and it's not for me to judge," she said. "They have to come out at some point, and if we don't try and change their lives while they are in there, the situation may be worse for them when they do come out. We want to try to better them and make them productive citizens," she said.

The release programme is not the only purpose of the prison ministry. Their main focus is the after-care programme, where Ramsey and her team of volunteers take time interviewing recently released prisoners, and help them find work with small businesses. Ramsey said that of the approximately 700 prisoners who had approached the ministry seeking assistance since its inception, only three had returned to prison. "We have to help them (and) give them a chance, because if we don't, no one else will."

Ramsey had only one request when it was her turn to address the prisoners. She urged each of them to take their families to church today.

(Jamaica Observer)